Reference no: EM133211275

A "white paper" can mean many things, but for our project, we're using the most basic definition of the genre, adapted from Wikipedia: "A white paper is an authoritative report that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and briefly presents the writer's perspective on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue." Please note that 'perspective' is not meant to be synonymous with 'opinion.'

I have underlined the most important parts of this definition, which give you crucial rhetorical information about what to do in this assignment.

Authoritative: This means that you've done a lot of research on this issue, problem, or question. When discussing this issue, you know what you're talking about. You've done your homework, so you have enough situated ethos, or authority, to present the problem accurately and fairly to your readers.

Report: This is not an argument paper. This is not a paper arguing for or against something or proposing the best solution. Instead, it is a research report, or "research brief," on the current state of the research on your issue, question, or problem. It reports on relevant research and the perspectives of relevant stakeholders.

Informs: The purpose of a white paper is to inform (not to persuade). Your purpose in writing this paper is to help your readers understand the issue, problem, or question you've selected to focus on so that they can consider solutions or make decisions about it.

Readers: The audience for your white paper is not everyone; it is the specific group of readers you identify as wanting to reach. It is a specific (narrow or relatively small) group of people who are particular stakeholders of the problem or another identifiable group that you think needs to be informed about this issue. You have to compose and design your white paper with your specific audience in mind: What do they already know, think, and believe about this problem? What is their relationship to this issue? What would be helpful for them to know to make a decision on this question?

Concisely: White papers are short-for a reason. They assume that readers cannot and will not take a lot of time to read lengthy, technical, or overly detailed reports. As a result, you only have 6-8 pages to inform your readers of everything you know and discovered about this issue through your research.

Complex issue: The challenge of a white paper is to convey to your readers, in very few pages, the complexity of the issue, question, or problem you've focused on. There are no easy answers or obvious solutions to your issue; it would already be figured out if there were. Most issues are "wicked" problems, which means that they are so difficult and complex that they are nearly impossible to solve, or a "good" solution ends up creating more and different problems. Don't oversimplify your issue for your readers. They can't think about viable ways forward if they don't appreciate its complexity. Please note that a complex issue does NOT mean you have to research a "problem." You are absolutely welcome to keep your focus neutral or look at solution-driven aspects of stakeholders' responses to climate concerns in Milwaukee.

Writer's perspective: Your views on the issue are presented briefly in the discussion section of your white paper. As a professional, public-facing report, you will not convey your ideas on the problem with "I think," "I believe," or "I argue" statements. Instead, you'll state additional facts and findings from your research, along with informed opinions from experts, straightforwardly and authoritatively.
Since a white paper is intended to be a professional and public document, please follow these guidelines as you research, compose, revise, design, and edit your report.

Audience

You need to identify, define, and know your readers. Be clear about who you want to reach with your white paper. The smaller, more narrow, and more specific your audience, the better-the easier it will be to write for them.

Format and design

Make your report look official and authoritative rather than like a school assignment. It needs an informative title, along with your name, the date it was created (finalized), and your institutional affiliation (the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).
Adhere to genre design conventions. Use bolding, hyperlinks, bullet points, images/graphics, etc., to engage the reader and enhance understanding.

Sections and headings

Introduction: [150-250 words] describing and setting up the problem, issue, or question for your readers.

Background: [150-250 words] giving the audience background information about the problem, issue or question.

2-3 thematic/topical sections with titles as headings: [what is necessary to cover the content] Organize your report of research thematically or by sub-topics. Each of these sections can be one to three paragraphs long. Each should clearly reference and accurately summarize the relevant research. Each section should have a title/heading.
Discussion: [150-250 words] explaining to readers the key takeaways from the research. This is where your informed views on the issue are conveyed to readers.
NOTE: The above sections should all use in-text citations to refer clearly to the research you're describing and relying upon to make your points.

Works Cited: Provide a complete and accurate bibliography (MLA or APA format) so that your readers can find and consult the same research you did. (If you want, you can add a second bibliography, called something like "Further Reading," "Additional Information," "Related News Coverage," etc., if you want to direct your readers to other useful but more ancillary sources not covered in your report.)